The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-28
FLORIDA. Past and Future.

Hon. William u. Kelley, or RennSyl-
| vania. has spent a good deal OF his time
since the adjournment of Congress in the
South. He has made quite a thorough
investigation of tho South's agricultural,
mineral and timber resources, and has en-
bodied his conclusions in a series of articles
which are to be published in the Ma,aNfac-
turers' Record of Baltimore. The first of
the series deals with the past, present and
future of Florida.
Mr.. Kelley visited Florida in 1875, and he
draws a comparison between what he saw
then and what he saw during his recent
visit to the State. The change which has
taken place within the twelve years between
his first and second visit, he regards as little
less than marvellous. In 1875 the people, he
says, displayed very little energy and not
much enterprise. They did not seem dis
posed ito utilize their immense timber
resources, and apparently had little idea of
the possibilities of their soil. They cult
waited sweet potatoes extensively and
depended largely upon their winter visitors
for what cash they needed.
This picture of the condition of affairs in
1875 is, of course, exaggerated, but doubt
less the parts of the State Mr.. Kelley saw
made the impression upon him which the
picture indicates. 1t was difficult to travel
about the State because there were only 4S4
miles of railroad. Only ten years had
elapsed since the close of the war, and the
State had only begun to recover from the
poverty which it had caused In fact, when
the war ended the State had only popula-
ton of $4,000, and 416 miles of railroad
The people and the roads were bankrupt.
For the first ten years what the people
were doing was not apparent to the visitor
They were, however, laying the foundation
of the prosperity which came to them in the
next ten years. This, Mr.. Kelley did not
see, and he, therefore, makes the mistake of
thinking that they were doing nothing.
1t is probably true, as he says, that the
sale of 1000, 900 acres of land to Hamilton
Disston gave the State an immense boost to-
wards prosperity. The $1,000,000 which
was received for the land cancelled bonds
which the State had guaranteed, and put
new life into railroad enterprises Railroad
building was begun at once, and was prose
| cuted with such vigor that in 1886 there
were 1900 miles of road What the num-
Der of miles is now Mr.. Kelley does not say,
but it cannot be far from 2, 800 miles.
| With the opening of new railroads towns
sprang up and population poured in. South
Florida, which few years ago was almost
a wilderness, is now being rapidly trans
formed into orange groves, peach and fig
orchards and vegetable gardens. If the peo-
| pie appeared to Mr.. Kelley in 1875 to lack
energy they do not so appear now. He
speaks of their energy and enterprise in en-
thusiastic terms, and says that they have q
| very full realization of the advantages they
enjoy. He concludes thus: "Why, in view
of Florida's immense and infinitely varied
resources, may not 1 part with my subject
in terms of glowing congratulation and as
surance to the State and her people that a
career of unbroken and increasing prosperity
awaits her and her rapidly augmenting
population"
There is one thing to which Mr. Kelley
calls attention in his article that ought to
attract great attention in Florida. 1t is the
possibility of the profitable culture of silk
there. The mulberry tree, ON which the
silkworm feeds, is indigenous to every part
4 of the State, and the climate is all that could
be desired. Mr.. Kelley believes that silk
culture could in a comparatively short time
be made to add millions of dollars annually
TO the wealth of the State.
OF course Mr. Kelley has something to say
about protection. That is his hobby He
introduces it on all occasions and has talked
about it so much that he has come to be-
lieve that the country couldn't get along
without it. However, he will not succeed
to any great extent in making Floridians
believe that their prosperity is dependent
upon it.